Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Sunday called on the government of Sri Lanka to halt plans to resume executions and restore its 43-year moratorium on the use of the death penalty.

“Sri Lanka’s plan to resume use of the death penalty is a major setback for human rights. Sri Lanka has been a bulwark against capital punishment in Asia for more than four decades, yet now the Sirisena government wants to throw in its lot with less rights-respecting regimes,” said Brad Adams, HRW Asia director. According to government data, 1,299 prisoners are on death row in Sri Lanka after having been convicted for capital offenses. These include 48 people convicted of drug crimes.

In January, Sri Lanka had announced an end to its de facto 43-year moratorium on capital punishment. President Maithripala Sirisena has sought to project his government’s decision to revive the death penalty as part of a campaign against drug crime. While on a visit to the Philippines, he termed Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s violent anti-drug campaign, “an example to the world,” indicating his willingness to pursue a similar path.